Knight and Girl
by The Fairy Cake
Summary: "It's painfully obvious how opposite the two are, but one would be surprised how well they fit together." - 64 Prussia/Liechtenstein drabbles of varying lengths.
1. Prompts 1 to 8

**A/N: Hello, good stranger on the internet! How goes life?**

**Well, moving onto the fic, I know the title is pretty uninspired. But most of my creativity was used trying to interpret 64 prompts; not enough was left for a good title/summary…Besides, I wanted to finish this in time for my birthday as a (semi-pathetic) gift to myself! Except I failed in doing that, seeing as my birthday's on 9/30 and today's 10/1. (Oh, and did you know that yesterday was also Botswana's Independence Day?)**

**But that's okay, right? So anyhoo, _moar_ notes.**

**1) This is split up into 8 chapters, 8 drabbles ('drabbles') each. Because I didn't _actually_ finish all of these in time (I'll try to update every day or two, though), and _besides_, no one wants to read so much saccharine suckishness in one go.**

**2) The main reason for writing this was that I wanted to see more Prussia/Liechtenstein, even though I _know _it's crack-y and not exactly historically accurate. But I just think it's so freaking…_cute. _(/is brick'd) So…I just went and experimented with the couple. And also a bit with writing styles. Though this stuff's probably mediocre at best…**

**3) Liechtenstein's human name is Lili Zwingli. And for the most part, I arbitrarily chose either nation names or human ones in each drabble. So oftentimes, you can think of the characters as people, as nations, as magical shape-shifting unicorns—whatever.**

**4) I have more specific notes in the A/N at the end of the chapters. Asterisks will indicate that there are some.**

**5) If you were to _actually_ want me to expand one of these, just tell me in a review and I'll see what I can do. No guarantees, though… ^^;**

**_Long A/N is exceedingly lengthy because I talk too much._ Let's just go.**

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><p><strong>Prompts 1-8<strong>

**1. 2 a.m.**

Liechtenstein opened her bleary eyes as the phone's loud ringing ripped her out of her state of unconsciousness. Not to say that she was actually fully awake yet. In fact, she simply lay in her bed for a few moments, listening to the rather bothersome sound and debating drowsily whether or not she should even bother to pick up. Just then, it happened to stop. Ah, well…she missed the call and that was that. Except the phone rang again, almost immediately after that thought.

This time, she managed to stumble out of her bed and hazily make her way toward the clamor without falling over from fatigue. At last, she found the phone on her work desk and groped for it, sitting down in a chair and internally sighing in relief when the ringing stopped. "H-Hello," she greeted, tiredness seeping into her tone.

There was a muffled voice on the other line. "Is…that you?"

The blonde country frowned a little as she recognized the speaker. "Th-This is Liechtenstein, Mr. Prussia. A-Ah, if you don't mind my asking…why are you calling me?"

"Liech—_hic—_ten…? Th-That you?"

Oh, she saw. "I-I'm sorry, Mr. Prussia, but…a-are you…drunk?"

"Pfft," scoffed the ex-nation, "n-no…not at, _hic_, all. Wh-What would make ya think _that?_"

Liechtenstein sighed at the blatant lie. "Um, I-Is there a reason you called at," she glanced around for a clock, "at two AM?"

"Whaaat…? It's not _that _late…early…somethin'."

"But it," the girl paused to yawn, "it is, sir."

"O-Oh…hey, Liechten…guess what?" He didn't wait for her to guess. "I'm over at Wessst's house! Kesesese… he's got lotsa beer, ya know…?"

"But…" Liechtenstein was a bit baffled now. "If you're at Mr. Germany's house…why did you have to call?"

She could hear Prussia audibly swallow. "Weeell, um…um…I think I mighta got the wrong number…"

"O-Oh? Th-Then, um, y-you don't have to answer me if you don't want to, but…who were you trying to call?" All she could hear in response was indecipherable mumbling. "Ah…I don't think I got that, sir."

"Pfft, don't—don't trouble yourself…I'm perfectly fine and awesome and stuff! I don't need that dumb, _hic,_ bitch of a country! Dumb Hungary…rejecting _me_…again…kese…se…"

The Liechtensteinerin suddenly picked up on the quiet plead beneath his words. "You know…you can talk to me if you need to, Mr. Prussia."

"H…huh? No…I wouldn't wanna, like…take up yer time and all…aren't 'cha tired?"

"I-It's okay, Mr. Prussia. I don't mind." Well, she kind of did. But…she didn't want Mr. Prussia to feel alone. He didn't really deserve that, or at least she felt that that should be so. "Just…go ahead and talk if you feel like it."

"O-Oh…well…"

"Please don't feel shy. I would really like to talk. Especially if it makes you feel better." And even though he couldn't see her, she smiled.

It didn't take much more encouragement before they were talking until the sun rose and Liechtenstein fell asleep on the desk with the phone still in her hands.

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***2. metaphor**

**(Do you, Mr. Prussia, think you could describe your relationship with Liechtenstein with a single metaphor?)**

Wait, describe my relationship with Liechten…with a metaphor? Just one? …Why? I don't see a fucking point.

**(It's for a—)**

No, I don't care what you're trying to do—I don't wanna!

**(Ah. Are you sure it's not because we don't have enough faith in our…'awesomeness' at poetry?)**

Wait, wait, wait, _what?_ Are you kidding me? Of _course _I'm an awesome poet! No, no—this shouldn't be hard! I'm great at poetry and shit, you know! So, um…let's see…

Honey? Marshmallows? Something sweet, because Liechten's sweet? No, that's…that's lame as hell. Something original!

Er…flowers! (**Um, I don't think that's very origi—) **Shut up! So…lilies, maybe. Because they're Liechten's favorite flowers! She loves them, and they're pretty and delicate and they smell nice…like her…no, shut up!

Fuck, um…birds? I don't know—they're small, they're cute. And baby chicks have blonde hair, like her. But…you asked for a metaphor about _us. _Ugh.

Um…trees, the moon, sunlight, sword fighting, a clock…? Hold on, what the hell am I talking about? Ah, fuck this!

Seriously, I don't have any cheesy, mushy-gushy words for you, dude. I mean, how's someone supposed to sum up a whole freaking relationship in just a few fancy-sounding words? I mean, I guess I could sit here and talk about me and Liechten for ages—but screw poetry!

**(Well, then—?)**

Oh, no. I'm not talking anymore, so don't ask me any more stupid questions! I'm leaving. Maybe Liechten's at home now…

Hey! Go the hell away and bother someone else!

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**3. sky**

Something they happen to love doing is observing the sky from the top of a perfectly placed hill. There are no obstructions, no too-bright lights. It's here where they may sit or lie down and talk and hold hands, all while gazing up at the wide-open sky. Neither the time nor the weather _(so long as it doesn't rain)_ matters. They'll watch the sun rise or set _(though typically set, because he dislikes getting up early)_. They'll survey the stars _(though not for _too_ long, else her brother will come looking for her)_. They'll even meet when it's gray and cloudy. It's all one to them what kind of sky it is; they'll enjoy it together.

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**4. lost scene**

They're lying on their special little hill again, watching as the sun finishes its daily journey and descends below the horizon.

As Prussia watches sunshine-stained clouds roll by and gradually darken, he is almost gripped by a sense of fear. The colors of this scene, this sunset melt away so easily, giving way to the typical black night sky, making beautiful blends and shades of reds, oranges, and yellows mere memories. For some reason, thinking of it that way just makes him wonder what will probably happen to him, one day. Much of his former glory (_but…not his_ awesomeness) has already faded away. So just how long is there until it (_he_) has all waned, leaving behind only simple, empty darkness?

Prussia's grip on Liechtenstein's hand tightens suddenly, and the action does not go unnoticed. She turns her head to the side and watches him for second before asking, "Is there something wrong, Mr. Prussia?"

_(He smiles momentarily at how she still refers to him. He has told her so many times that just 'Prussia' [or 'Your Awesomeness' or 'Awesome One'] is fine, but he knows she won't be calling him just that anytime soon.)_

"Eh? No, Liechten…everything's fine." The words flow so smoothly off his tongue, and yet he knows she won't believe him. So he just sits up and she does the same. Sighing, he squeezes her hand again and says, "I hate to see the sunset fade away. 'Cause no matter what, that sunset won't ever be seen again." _'Cause now, it's just reminding me of the goddamn inevitable fact that—_

"But at least the sun always rises again. It is not lost forever. It carries on, despite that sunset fading away. It…It finds a way and—besides," says Liechtenstein, breath catching for an instant.

"I don't…I don't think that the sun would ever forget the colors, the energy, the life…the beauty of that sunset." The younger nation ends by wrapping a second hand around his and giving him a tentative smile, which he can just barely discern in the dim light.

Prussia smiles a little in return. "Thanks, Liechten. Really. Now, ah…let's get ya home before your brother freaks."

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**5. degrees**

One would expect the bold and brash Prussia to jump into a relationship head-on. And maybe he would with many of the other nations, but with Liechtenstein, things seemed to change for whatever reason. Some might contend that since he had just a _little_ rationality about him, it was out of fear of the gun-toting Switzerland.

That was probably part of it, sure, but whatever the explanation, the Prussian couldn't bring himself to dive right in. Things were taken in little steps, in degrees. From holding hands for short whiles to quick hugs and quick kisses on the cheek and forehead to small pecks on the lips to kisses that lasted longer than a half-second—it was a long, gradual process, but if Liechtenstein was comfortable with it…he really didn't mind.

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**6. seize the day**

Hanging out with Gilbert has taught Lili to be just a little less deliberate. Perhaps not for the better, but as he puts it, certainly "for the more awesome!"

Every other day generally involves one escapade or another, and she'd be lying if she said she didn't have fun. One day they went hunting for Gilbird's 'family' (and eventually succeeded in finding many similar yellow fluffballs—er—birds); another day they spent playing ding-dong ditch (which Lili felt was thoroughly juvenile, but she still found it within herself to enjoy it like her enthusiastic companion). Once, he spent a few hours teaching her how to sword fight (with sticks, so that her big brother Vash wouldn't kill him).

Other days, Gilbert just shows up at her house and they go get ice cream or head out to the park—simple things. They don't need to have daily 'adventures.' Really, as long as there is something to do—some way to make the most of each day—Lili is fine with just about whatever Gilbert suggests they do next.

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**7. opposite**

Of course, Gilbert's typically a boisterous, intrusive, and overly friendly person. And not only does he look unconventional (from the white hair to the reddish-gray eyes), but he also acts that way at times. He isn't afraid of stepping on people's nerves (and maybe even of doing it on purpose) or of being rowdy and energetic or of being extremely easy-going (that is, lazy). And he absolutely isn't afraid of being overly self-confident (and thus obnoxious)—he is particularly egotistical, naturally, and he insists on being calling himself 'awesome' and being hailed as such by others.

It's true that Lili is anything but loud and blunt (unlike a certain Prussian). She has a tendency to blush, stutter, and wring her hands. She simply doesn't have the audacity (or outright carelessness) to not consider others or not think about how she appears, unlike him. Nor is she the type to regularly cast off her duties for distractions, no matter how fun. And she is a few things, but self-confident is probably not one of them. Even her appearance is mostly cute and soft-spoken, with modest green eyes and simple blonde hair making her look as shy, small, and embarrassed by attention as she acts.

Yet their relationship is oddly complementing. He can bring out the adventure in her, and she can bring out the sweetness in him. Sometimes she'll play along and sometimes he'll play nice, and all in all, they play off each other wonderfully. Yes, it's painfully obvious how opposite the two are, but one would be surprised how well they fit together.

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**8. passions run**

A white-haired man sighs, and his hands wrestle with his gray tie. His brother said that this thing best matched his newly ironed black suit and that he supposedly tied for him it 'properly'. But obviously that meant it is supposed to half-choke him. He manages to loosen it just a little (such that he no longer fears strangulation by his own outfit), and then he stuffs his hands into his pockets.

The thing is, his French friend's extravagant balls always turn out pretty interestingly. (For example, he can see said man already trying to maneuver himself into the pants of someone drinking at the bar.) Yet besides pranks, drinking, and the rest of the same-old-same-old tomfoolery, there's not much for him to do at these things. He could always try to get a dance partner, yet despite his awesomeness, girls just don't have a way of falling into his arms. (He figures it's a bit of a mix between feelings of insufficiency and of jealousy.) So now he's just leaning against a wall, watching as guests file into the ballroom. Perhaps he'll find someone to bother.

And then he sees a blue hair ribbon on a familiar head of blonde hair.

For whatever reason, his heartbeat quickens when he sees this girl step onto the dance floor—naturally, at her brother's side—from across the room. Yet…he is normally calm enough, collected enough around the blonde. But now, when fitted with a sleek, shimmering turquoise dress with long sleeves and a skirt that flows smoothly to the floor, she looks truly…beautiful. Not simply cute, or sweet, or pretty. This evening, she has an especially sophisticated, elegant, _mature_ air about her. And caught up in her presence, he finds himself walking over to her side of the room.

Before he realizes it, he's giving her a slight bow and holding out his hand. "May I have this dance, Miss Lili?" he asks, boldly and with complete disregard for her brother, who looks as starchy and uncomfortable as the older-than-it-looks black suit he's wearing. The girl, however, looks pleasantly surprised—almost eager—but nevertheless, it is her brother that answers him.

"No, Gilbert. In fact, Lili will not be dancing with anyone this evening."

As for the girl herself, she bows her head deferentially _(disappointedly)_ and remains silent, starting to wring her hands. The man simply cannot stand it.

He seizes her hand and pulls her away from her brother's side, separating the two siblings with (surprisingly) little more effort than ripping away a loose thread. She stumbles a little as he quickly leads her to the center of the dance floor and stops, though not before twirling her about once. He smiles at her little peep of surprise, and admires the way her dress and her hair flare out slightly as she spins.

Then, she tries to stutter out a comprehensible comment. "M-My brother…h-he's—he'll be so angry, M-Mr. Gilbert."

He merely shrugs (though a little piece of him feels a small pang of panic) and replies, "Well, what's the point of coming to one of Francis' big and fancy balls dressed like that if you don't dance?" With this, he takes her hand up in his and places his other hand on her back. The girl, after a little consideration, tentatively places her hand on his shoulder, and soon enough, they're dancing.

To her, it's almost surreal to be caught up like this, in the moment—in the motion. The room's hardly more than a blur for more than a few seconds a time, and she's happily focused on the man in front of her. Moving to the lilting music, she can feel her dress sway and her hair brush lightly against her face and the warmth of his hands radiate…

…and he can see her pretty smile and her elated green eyes, gently shining with lightheartedness, and he can tell she just loves this and so does he and he feels so swept up in the moment and—

She lets out the tiniest squeak when he presses his lips to hers and a little sigh when he pulls away. They almost begin to lean in for another kiss, perhaps more passionate this tim—

"_GILBERT!_ What did you just—? No, never mind! Whatever _you_ did to my sister, I'm going to _murder_ you for it!"

The white-haired man's eyes widen, and he feels a set of shaking hands push against his chest, urging him to hurry up and go. He heeds this signal and moves to sprint away, but not before laughing unexpectedly.

"Kesesese! I hope this was fun, Lili!"

From the dance floor, as she's watching the two figures run away, the girl smiles and whispers, more for herself than anyone, "It was."

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><p><strong>AN: Are you still alive after all those suckish drabbles? How many teeth did you lose? Do you have enough insulin? Okay, you alright now? Right, let's just move onto the singular note for this chapter.**

**2. No. No, I have no idea who Prussia's talking to. A random interviewer or something. I don't know.**

**And…that's the eight drabbles for this chapter! Good day, peoples!**


	2. Prompts 9 to 16

**Prompts 9-16**

**9. connection**

As they sit on a park bench, enjoying the colorful autumnal scenery of trees losing leaves and leaves being blown around by the wind, a question suddenly comes to her mind.

"Mr. Gilbert?" Lili asks, polite as ever.

"Hmm? What is it, Lili?"

"O-Oh, well…" she begins, keeping her eyes focused on her lap. "I was talking to Mr. Kiku a few days ago when he was around big brother's house, and—I'm not sure how we got onto the subject, but—ah, he told me about this legend of his. Th-That two soul mates are connected by a special red string tied around their fingers."

"Oh really?" He scratches his chin quickly. "Yeah, yeah, I think of heard of that before. Well…of course _I_ have, being the awesome person I am!"

Lili takes a brief moment to smile before continuing nervously. "Ah…so, I was just curious—just wondering…what d-do you think about that?"

"Red string?" he says, holding his hands up and looking over them. "Well, obviously, that's just some sort of myth or whatever, 'cause I don't see one connecting us."

"Well, I suppose s—wh…what? I'm sorry, Mr. Gilbert, wh-what did you say?"

He smirks and happily wraps his arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer to him and causing her to blush profusely. Then he merely shrugs. "I said I don't see one connecting us, so that legend's either not true or a metaphor or something else weird like that."

"B-But…" She looks up at him from her place in his arms. "D-Do you really think so? That we're soul mates?"

"Eh, 'soul mates' is a really cheesy way to put it…but I don't have many better names. Hey, don't look so embarrassed. I mean, don't get me wrong—it's adorable and all—but I mean what I said."

"R-Rea—?"

"Really."

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**10. lull and storm**

As if gods were eagerly tugging thick gray blankets over whatever visible bits of sky remained, formidable storm clouds were rolling in fast. Yet to Liechtenstein, things couldn't feel calmer, more peaceful than now, lying on her back on a soft, grassy hill and watching these looming masses steadily approach.

And even as she felt a light breath of mist on her skin, she couldn't bring herself to stand and leave. Besides…that would have meant having to slip her hand out of Prussia's, and she was fairly content just staying like this.

Of course, then the rain started actually pouring, gravity pulling down fat droplets of water that splashed against the ground, her clothing, her face, her hair. It wouldn't be long until she got soaked, and so Liechtenstein _(reluctantly)_ stood and, in a futile effort, tried to wipe some of the rain off.

"Hey," she heard a voice from behind her say, "what're ya doing?"

Liechtenstein turned around and saw Prussia still lying down, hands nonchalantly laced behind his head, not caring that the rain was steadily seeping through his clothes to his skin. In fact, she could already see parts of his shirt sticking to his body.

She looked at him in confusion—ignoring the plinking and plunking of water on her clothing and skin for the moment—before responding. "The…the rain is going to come down pretty heavily, isn't it, Mr. Prussia? Shouldn't we…shouldn't we go now?"

"Why?"

"Wh-Why? Well, aren't you getting very wet? I wouldn't want you to get sick or anything—"

Prussia scoffed lightly. "C'mon, Liechten, the Awesome Me doesn't get sick! 'Sides…don't you kinda like the rain? Just feel it."

"But—"

Suddenly, he took her hands in his, easily quieting the younger nation. "Shhh. Look up."

Carefully tilting her head upward, Liechtenstein still worried. What would her brother say? What if either of them fell ill from this? What if—?

"Ah…" she heard herself breathe. As the rain plummeted toward the ground—toward her—she couldn't stop her mouth from dropping open ever so slightly.

She didn't know what it was exactly about staring up into this stormy sky of many shades of gray _(perhaps it was like staring up into infinity, where the rain fell from; perhaps it was like being suddenly swept up in the droplets' descent)_, but it was wonderful, and she felt her chest swell and her lips curl up and her heart beat and her eyes close and her hands be squeezed…

"Hey," came a soft whisper, just barely lifting out of her trancelike state. "Sorry…but I, ah…I don't want you to get sick." There was a small laugh. "Your brother might kill me."

Liechtenstein's eyes fluttered open slowly and eventually landed on a gently smiling face. She immediately colored _(more, since her cheeks were already pink from the rain)_. "S-Sorry…sometimes I get caught up so easily in things and—"

"It's okay," replied Prussia, smirking but still speaking softly. "I love that," he murmured, pulling on her hand even as red poured into her face.

With one final glance up at the sky, Liechtenstein began to walk beside him.

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***11. animal**

Sometimes, she swears he acts like more of an animal than his cute little pet bird.

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**12. children**

He knows she looks like a child, but she isn't. In human years, she's at least sixteen, perhaps more. And it isn't as if she acts younger than her age. Perhaps it's just the way she practically radiates innocence, yet it would be an outright offense _(one that he'd totally beat you up for)_ to imply that she isn't mature or intelligent.

She knows he doesn't look like a child, but he can certainly act like one. Even though he's probably twenty-something in human years, he still acts as brash and immature as an eight-year-old at times. Indeed, she knows that many people wonder how he's not the younger one between his strict and straight-laced little brother and him, someone ever so carefree and lax.

Yes, they suppose you can call them both children in some way. The only key difference is, they'll take your estimation of him in stride, but he'll fight you to the death for such a conclusion about her.

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**13. we all float on**

The blonde girl was standing atop a hill on a windy day when a voice drifted over to her ears.

"Hey, Lili!"

"Hmm?" She turned and saw a white-haired man dashing up the hill excitedly with two balloons happily bobbing behind him. Soon enough, he had clambered his way to the top, smiling and laughing as if he had just climbed to the very peak of the world and was now regarding the people beneath him. Only, he was more occupied by the sweet little girl that stood in front of him.

"Lili! There you are!" he cried.

"Of course, Gilbert. You said we would meet here."

"Yep, and isn't it an awesome place?"

Lili nodded and turned to face the current. She smiled slightly, closed her eyes, and let the wind envelop her. Raising her arms, she grinned wider at the sensation of the air daintily brushing past her skin and of her short hair and pink dress billowing behind her majestically, like the sails of a proud ship. It was a great feeling, for some reason, to have the wind tickle you and touch you and play with your hair and clothing. It just felt…_free_ and _happy _and _pure._

As Gilbert gazed upon her, he smiled immensely at her delight in something so simple yet so wonderful. God, this girl…He would have liked to join her, but reluctantly, he nudged her out of her mirth. She turned to look at him again, head tilted slightly (_cutely_) to the side.

"So, er," he began, eloquent as always, "I had this _awesome_ idea for our date today. So, see these balloons?" She nodded at the buoyant pink and black objects. "Alright, here's the pink one," he said, handing her the string. "Ah, don't let it slip away yet! That'd be really unawesome. Okay, so you got it? Great! Now, think of something happy and think really hard about it and the balloon. Then, on the count of three, we'll let go! Got it?"

"Um, but wait, why would we want to let go of something happ—?"

"Ah, don't worry, Lili, you'll see! Ready?"

"N-No…"

"Okay, I'll wait. Tell me when you're ready."

And Gilbert grinned so brightly at her that she decided to just go with it. Shutting her eyes, Lili racked her mind for something appropriate. When she found it, she looked at him and nodded.

"Okay…one…two…three!"

The pink balloon was almost ripped from her hands by the powerful wind, and she watched as it was swiftly carried away, Gilbert's black one following close behind. They bounced and bounded, their strings lashing out at the air. The current carried them out toward the town (which looked quite diminutive from where Lili stood), and the helium carried them up toward the sky. She stared after them as they gradually ascended, feeling somewhat thankful that the sun was not out to blind her from this happy, lofty sight. Yet she couldn't quite say what was so enjoyable about seeing this. Perhaps it was because she could imagine that that was she and her happy memory out there, dancing in the wind without a care in the world, lifting themselves higher and ever higher above the horizon and into the silver-lined clouds.

And when she turned away momentarily, when green eyes met red, Lili just smiled before looking back at the black and pink balloon. For this moment, it almost felt as though it were actually she and Gilbert out there, floating on and up.

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***14. chess**

"H-Hey, Mr. Prussia?" asked Liechtenstein as she tightly clutched a chess set in her hands. She mostly gazed at the ground, but occasionally threw glances upward at the man sprawled upon the couch.

"Yes?" he responded, sitting up slightly at the sound of the girl's voice.

"A-Are you…are you any good at chess?"

"Hmm? Yeah, sure," said the Prussian, putting on a thoughtful face. "I remember some of my bosses made me practice it a lot so I'd get better at strategy. I thought it was stupid at first, but they said that if I wanted to be strong, I had to get good at that game. But hey, at least now I'm _awesome _at it! So…why do you ask?"

"Um, well…" Liechtenstein shifted awkwardly on her feet. "B-Big brother tried to play with me today, and I wasn't any good…I c-could tell he didn't want to beat me so easily, but…"

"Aw…" Prussia got up from the couch and walked over to her, resting a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I'm sure you did fine. And besides, you can't become awesome just like _that_, right?" The blonde nation nodded hesitantly. "_Well_…maybe _I_ can," here he waited for her to giggle, "but you know. Even awesomeness takes a little perfection. So don't worry. I'll help ya out. C'mere, and we'll play."

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**15. duty**

"Hey, Liechten!" calls a very familiar voice as its owner walks in through the back door, swinging a key about his finger.

Liechtenstein makes a little noise of acknowledgment as she continues to mop the floor of the house.

"…Liechten?"

"…What is it, Mr. Prussia?"

"You wanna go hang out or something?"

She pauses in her work to lean on her mop and think. "I…don't know, Mr. Prussia. Big brother said he wanted me to finish the rest of my household duties by the end of the afternoon." Then she resumes her chore.

"Awww…but that's no fun! Can't ya just forget 'em?"

"Wh-What?"

"Yeah, just forget 'em for now! Why not?"

"…Because big brother expects me to finish."

"So?"

She sighs. "I…I just wouldn't feel right if I left my chores unfinished, Mr. Prussia. I'm sorry…" she says, giving him a very dejected look.

To which he sighs himself. Damn this girl for her incredible ability to make him feel guilty. "Well…er, would you like some help?"

Immediately, the blonde nation brightens. _(And of course she would…) _"_Really, _Mr. Prussia? Y-You would do that?"

"Yeeeaaah, I s'pose so." _Even though I hate chores…_ "So, uh…what can I do?"

"Ah…do you mind dusting?" And she gives him such a sweet, honest smile that he just melts a little on the inside.

"…I guess not."

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**16. rip**

"Hey," he protests as he crosses his arms. "I swear it's not my fault my shirt got ripped in that bar fight! I mean, the other dude _definitely _had it coming, and then he goes and tears up my clothes! Such an unawesome basta—jerk."

She sighs quickly before responding. "Oh, it's fine, Gilbert. Here, go change into another shirt, and I'll sew this one up for you."

"Thanks, Lili. But, er…sorry 'bout that," he mumbles, scratching the back of his neck.

"It's all right. I really don't mind." She smiles, and he can tell it's sincere. This time, he's the one that sighs.

"You're so freaking nice, Lili."

She smirks at him—just a little—and shrugs. "I know."

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><p><strong>AN: Perhaps I shouldn't even bother with a medical checkup this time around. I mean, I can't help you, whoever and wherever you are.**

**Anyway, notes.**

**11. This just reeks of laziness, doesn't it? Maybe I'll change it later, but only if I think of a way to expand it…**

**14. No, I do not know if Prussians liked playing chess. But hey, I hear it's a good strategy-building game, so…**

**Again, thanks for reading, reviews are always lovely, and good day!**


	3. Prompts 17 to 24

**A/N: So, I've already failed in updating every day or two. Eh. I'm probably going to fail some more with the rest of these chapters. I suck at meeting deadlines I set for myself.**

**You know, I think my writing style's really minimalistic. Even more so in drabbles. Well, I just tend to fail at thinking up good imagery/figurative language. Also, I played a bit with this fic's formatting. Yeah, random thoughts, bleh.**

**But whatever, here's another eight drabbles for you peoples!**

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><p><strong>Prompts 17-24<strong>

**17. missing time**

"Hey, Lili, have you seen two hours lying around?"

"H-Huh? What do you mean, Gilbert?"

"Well, awhile ago, I had that kind of time. But I've been missing them since I got to your place."

"What? I don't understand…was it something I did? I-I'm sorry!"

"Kesese—wait, you think I'm serious? Hey, calm down, it's okay! I was just kidding!"

"…O-Oh. I'm sorry!"

"Nah, nah—don't worry about it! I was just trying to say I like spending time with you."

"Oooh…"

"Kesese…you know, you always look so cute when you blush…"

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***18. crest**

Liechtenstein tilted her head a little to the side as she watched the waves noisily crashed onto the shore. She knew that people had probably said this many times before her, but the sound was really quite calm and soothing. She wouldn't have been able to tell you _why,_ not exactly,but maybe it was the rhythm and repetition, the smoothness, the prominence of that sound over everything else. That, and the fact that, as a doubly landlocked nation, she rarely ever got the chance to go see open water like this. So she didn't even mind that it was a little cloudy, stormy today; it really just meant the waves were bigger.

The waves rolled through the water almost deliberately, rising to a high, foamy crest before smashing into the land, saltwater pouring across it and spreading countless grains of sand about.

"So, you having fun?"

The Liechtensteinerin jumped a little at the voice before seeing it was simply Prussia. Breathing a slight sigh of relief, she replied, "Y-Yes, of course, Mr. Prussia. Thank you for taking me here."

"Hey, it's no problem!" He smiled and placed a hand on her shoulder. "So…you wanna try playing in the waves or something?"

She blinked at him. "B-But…I think big brother wouldn't want me to get wet or too cold or something—"

"Ah,_ whatever. _Screw what your big brother wants—do _you_ want to?"

"I—well, I don't know…"

"Give it a try! Here, take off your shoes and meet me over there, 'kay?" With that, Prussia kicked off his shoes and hurried toward the water, laughing.

It was…tempting to Liechtenstein, to say the least. On the one hand, Prussia seemed to be having much fun, splashing about in the water. On the other hand, she and her clothing would certainly get wet, and big brother would definitely disapprove. But the water looked clean, and the waves, inviting…maybe if she only walked in it…

Hesitantly, she slipped her shoes off and strode toward the sea. She slowly placed a foot into the water and smiled at the feeling of it running smoothly over her skin. Then, she began taking tentative steps closer to Prussia, who seemed to be in at least knee-deep already. As the water pushed and pulled—pooled and retreated—around her feet, she was thankful that she wore shorts today; a dress or skirt might have been soaked very quickly, especially as the water splashed up every now and then. Finally, she came within earshot of the Prussian, who had turned around and seen her.

"Good to see you join me, Liechten!" he greeted, throwing his arms up, little drops of seawater flying from his skin. "Hey, come a little closer! The waves are awesome here!"

"B-But, what if I get wet? Big brother would—"

"Like I said, screw him! C'mere and jump some waves with me! Don't make me come for ya!"

"But—"

"Aw, enough 'but's!" With surprising ease, Prussia trudged through the water and grabbed her hand, causing her to trip a little, getting water on her clothing. He laughed. "Well, you're wet now—who cares if you get any wetter!"

And honestly, as she played among the waves with him, Liechtenstein found herself agreeing.

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**19. itch**

Liechtenstein felt a sudden tingling on her back, a strange sensation much like an itch. It was as if her instinct was telling her that there was something off about this situatio—

"Liechten!"

Thus, she found herself being toppled over by one of a certain Prussian's tackle hugs. And as much as she enjoyed his enthusiastic embraces, she concluded that sometimes she ought to pay more attention to these feelings of hers.

**.**

**.**

**.**

**20. explode**

Even if he tries his best not to, Gilbert can still tread heavily on people's nerves. But whenever Lili gets particularly angry with him (_"It's like a freaking bomb goes off! She just…explodes! Snaps! Yeah, I know it's Lili, but it's true!"), _he's always a little more careful where he steps for a while.

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***21. rise**

When she first formally presents herself to the German Confederation, Liechtenstein is terrified. And rightly so, as everyone seems so much bigger than her and so very serious. It doesn't help that not even the smaller states like her offer a comforting gesture. So she thinks it's already quite remarkable that she has just managed to tell the congregation her name without fainting from the sheer intimidation.

Afterwards, Liechtenstein is not afraid to heave a heavy sigh of relief when all the other states had empty out of the conference room. Slightly dizzy, she sits down on a nearby chair, modest black dress and white apron flowing around her. She rests her head on her hands and begins to worry about the impression she gave. Surely she seemed like a meek, insignificant principality not worth anyone else's notice. And maybe she is one and no one expected much more, but…she could have scraped up just a little self-confidence for once!

The small principality sighs loudly and has not noticed that a certain white-haired, red-eyed state has risen from his chair and walked over to her.

"Hey." Liechtenstein jumps a bit at the voice. She looks up and stares right into the face of a much taller personification. He's garbed in a rich blue coat, a red cloak, and a black bicorn hat—all of which make him look ever so respectable and commanding.

She flinches at the unexpected proximity, but tries to cover it up with a stuttered, "H-Hello…"

He gazes down at her _(she somehow feels even smaller in his presence)_ and says, "You didn't do half-bad up there. After all, you rose up as a personification only, what, a hundred years old? So you're, er…Liese—Licht—Liechten—?"

"L-Liechtenstein, sir. But I d-don't blame you if your forget—I'm not very big or important or—" She manages to cut herself off. "I'm sorry about that, Mr…um…wh-who are you again? I-I'm sorry I don't remember, it's j-just that—"

The older nation chuckles and suddenly takes her hand, lifting her out of her chair and onto her feet. The principality colors a bright red, and even more so as he bows, and even _more_ so (such that maybe she should have fainted from all the blood that rushed to her face) when he brings his lips to her hand.

When he pulls his mouth away from her skin, she's stuttering like mad, but he just smirks and says, "Name's the Awesome Prussia, but…you can just call me Prussia." He straightens completely, very amused by the younger nation's blushing speechlessness. She's so…cute. "Welcome to the Confederation, I guess. Bye." He turns, carelessly throwing a wave over his shoulder as he walks away.

As for Liechtenstein…she needs to sit down again.

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***22. crumble**

She joined the German Confederation on June 20, 1815, after the Holy Roman Empire dissolved, after Napoleon's Confederation of the Rhine disbanded.

Then the German Confederation, too, crumbled on August 24, 1866.

And she remembers how it started. Liechtenstein was close to Mr. Austria then, so naturally she felt obligated to agree to mobilize troops against Mr. Prussia (_although she doesn't like war and wouldn't have had an army if she didn't have to as a state of the Confederation_). But when Mr. Prussia—whom she had long admired, if only a little_—_accused her as the reason for the action _("This invasion is bullshit! It's all just because of a goddamn miscount that she _obviously _participated in!"), _she didn't really have reason to feel so hurt, so disappointed…and yet she was. Not to mention, she was supposed to be loyal to Mr. Austria. She shouldn't have cared what Mr. Prussia thought of her…

But that didn't matter, because the Austrian-Prussian War was fought with nary a single regard to her insignificant, confused feelings. She even tried to help her side as best as possible, but her army never even made it to the battlefield in time. Prussia won, and so the Confederation fell apart.

_(And though he didn't speak to her during the peace treaty discussions, he approached her in 1867 with a short, somewhat awkward apology, yet still ready to resume full relations. She smiled timidly then and agreed, and though it was the rough resumption of a strange_—friendship? acquaintanceship?—_she dares say it was…enough.)_

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**23. range**

"Run faster, Mr. Prussia!" called out Liechtenstein as she stood behind her brother, who was, at present, firing and reloading his gun at a truly admirable rate. She sighed internally. Switzerland was probably trying to beat his current record, which meant Prussia would have to try to dodge bullets that would (hopefully) miss him by only around two inches or less. Perhaps it had not been a good idea to hang out so close to big brother's outdoors shooting range…

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**24. fight/flight**

_Shit. _Sometimes Gilbert wished he could keep track of time better. If he could, he wouldn't be trying to choose between fleeing the house or being caught by Lili's trigger-happy brother. Not that he was _afraid _of Vash(because that would just be completely unawesome of him). No, he was more afraid of the _guns _the dude had that could potentially turn him into Swiss cheese. Not that he'd admit that he was fearful in any way whatsoever.

But that didn't stop him from being conflicted. On the one hand, Vash knew about his and Lili's relationship and had recently condoned it at last (though he still didn't _act_ like he did), so he technically could stay and argue against leaving on those grounds. On the other hand, Vash had a hair-trigger temper, and if he made any assumptions about what they had been doing, the Swiss' favorite rifle would probably be pulled out of hyperspace and aimed at him in an instant.

Lili seemed just as worried as him about the situation, silently panicking where she sat. Gilbert never really liked seeing her so flustered. So simply to relieve her nerves, he decided to throw her a quick smile before running back to his brother's house.

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><p><strong>AN: Gasp, I actually squeezed a little history into this? Well, I'm not too excited, because I think I failed at translating the history into the Hetalia universe. So, some bad, rambly notes for drabbles #21 and 22.**

**But first, #18:**

**18. I was going to try to write about crests and coats of arms, but then I realized, heraldry is kind of confusing. So I chose to write something lame about the sea [Which sea? _A _sea.] and what have you. Crests and waves, see…? (Holy crap, an accidental pun!)**

**21. On June 20, 1815, Liechtenstein joined the German Confederation. I'd think that Prussia (the actual nation) probably didn't really care. But that doesn't mean Prussia (the personification) wasn't gentlemanly enough to give little Liechtenstein a personal welcome, right…? (/dodges brick) Yeah, I know this isn't very believable.**

**22. Bismarck of Prussia (the leader at the time) had tried to blame Liechtenstein for the initial Austrian-led mobilization of troops against Prussia. (Liechtenstein did have close ties to Austria in the German Confederation, hence why she [it?] sided with him.) Bismarck basically said that Liechtenstein and other states like it [her?] had too much representation for their size and that that was why the troops ended up being mobilized. Because there was a miscount in votes or something. It was still war (specifically, the Austrian-Prussian War) either way. Then, afterwards, the German Confederation broke up.**

**(Oddly enough, though Bismarck made a big deal of Liechtenstein before the war, he kind of forgot about it while negotiating peace treaties. But Liechtenstein and Prussia did resume relations in 1867.)**

**Alright, that's all for now. Have a nice day, and please review!**


	4. Prompts 25 to 32

**Prompts 25-32**

**25. acid**

Liechtenstein can be _really _good at guilt trips. So for Prussia, screwing something up with her (if the oblivious nation even ends up realizing he has done so) can end up being like acid, eating away at his skin, heart, and mind until he finds some way to neutralize the cause.

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**26. color**

She's standing outside in her backyard, admiring some of the flowers. And though she has a wide assortment, today her gaze locks onto one of her favorites—a pretty bush of pink roses.

After all, Lili just can't help it. Her favorite color is pink. And she knows how childish and girly that sounded, but she really does love pinks. Well, none of those big, bright, bold pinks—but that's mostly because she has always been a little too reserved for such loud colors.

Maybe it only helps to perpetuate her image of complete and utter innocence, sweetness, and femininity embodied (which she—honestly—is not), but a light pink just feels so soft, so subtle, so…_pretty_ to her. In fact, she thinks that her favorite shade is of probably of these roses. Well…on second thought, that doesn't sound quite right. Then perhaps during late dawn, the light pink of the sk—?

"Lili!" a familiar voice calls out, followed by laughter. She looks around and sees Gilbert swaggering toward her. "How's it going?" he asks, stopping a few feet in front of her.

The girl smiles and, for some reason, feels inclined to pull him into a hug before replying, "Fine."

He smiles back at her, but not without a little pink brushed across his cheeks.

Ah, yes. Her favorite shade was probably that of Gilbert's blush.

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***27. give**

Ah, Valentine's Day. The day which either the in-love happily spend with their significant others or the more-or-less bitter or cynical spend grumbling over the uselessness of such a holiday. (Well, of course the bitter and cynical are indignant to such a claim—and I'm sure there are also plenty of lovely people who just don't care—but that's all one in this story.) Luckily for Gilbert Beilschmidt, he's one of the former. At least, he would be, if he could get past his girlfriend's overprotective brother.

"Dammit, Vash, why can't you just let me in?" Simply put, the poor boy didn't get it. There was absolutely _no _reason he shouldn't be able to get in! He deserved to be granted entry! In fact, he deserved to be _regaled _upon entrance! If only.

"Don't swear in my house." Oh, Vash. You inflexible jerk. Except I probably shouldn't call you that (and neither should Gilbert) because you're most likely armed. Still, it's kind of jerkface-y. I mean, this dude has been dating your little sister for weeks, possibly months. Admittedly, it _is _Gilbert, but neither a thorough search and seizure nor a grueling interrogation is necessary every time the man comes over.

But, being the contrary person he is, Gilbert decides to defy the big brother of his girlfriend a little more and deliberately miss the point. "Hmph…technically, I'm still not _in _your house yet."

"Shut up."

The (self-proclaimed) Prussian sighed. "Seriously, what gives? I just came here to give Lili a gift and go and hang out. 'S'all."

"Why?"

"'Why?' Well, it's Valentine's Day. Can't I get Lili a present if I want to? Or hang out with her if I feel like it?"

"No." Oooh, shut down.

"Just—stop being difficult…" Gilbert then lowered his voice. You know, in that 'I-don't-want-you-to-hear-but-I-really-kind-of-do' way. "…unawesome jerkface…"

Fortunately, our favorite paranoid Swiss didn't happen to hear. Or he decided to ignore it out of some inconceivable act of mercy. "What did you bring?"

Gilbert held up a bunch of white flowers, a dozen in total. "Just a bouquet of daisies. That's not, like, evil or indecent or anything, right?

"Daisies? Maybe. But how do I know you haven't poisoned them to release toxic fumes that'll surreptitiously kill my little sister?"

Gilbert simply blinked at the Swiss man. He was a…special sort of paranoid, wasn't he?

"_Well?" _demanded Vash, crossing his arms and tapping his foot. But not in a girly way or anything. In the manliest way possible. Because it's hopefully obvious that he'd kill you for suggesting he's somehow effeminate. Even if he'd probably look great in a Swiss maid outfit.

"What. Just…what. No, you _fruitcake_." (Actually, why do people call crazy people 'fruitcakes'? I don't see the connection. Is it because of the fruitcake as a whole, or a certain part of it? Is it the nuts? I hear there are nuts. Er, _anyway…_) "Why would I give Lili poisonous flowers _on purpose?"_

"I don't _know!_ But for all I _do_ know, you might!"

"What? ! Insane basta—"

"Big brother?" piped up Lili from the hallway, in her sweet, mellifluous (but not saccharine) voice. "Who's at the door?"

"H-Huh?" Vash tried to close the door before his little sister could see. "Oh, no one important—"

"Lili!" cried out Gilbert, waving his arms wildly. "Hey, Lili, hurry and let me in!"

The girl calmly walked over and opened the door wide, allowing the Prussian to enter. She smiled (in that heart-meltingly warm way of hers) and asked, "How are you, Mr. Gilbert?"

"Hey, just fine!" replied the Prussian, swaggering his way on in, probably looking less awesome than he acted. "So…Happy Valentine's Day, Lili!" he said as he scooped up the little blonde off her feet into a tight hug. (Doesn't that just make you wanna go "d'awww…"? Because it sure makes me. Of course, Vash is probably staring at them in outrage, but still.)

Lili merely giggled as Gilbert set her neatly on her feet again. "Yes, Happy Valentine's Day! Ah, wait here, and I'll get you my present!" Then, spinning around daintily, she ran up the stairs to grab her gift.

"All right, hurry! I'm sure it'll be awesome!" But naturally, as he waved and turned around, Gilbert came face-to-face with a steaming Vash. No, I mean, seriously. You could practically see the smoke puffing out of his ears.

"Ack!" A reasonable response.

"Why daisies?" demanded Vash.

"What?"

"Why daisies? Why not roses or lilies or any other kind of flower?"

The Prussian simply shrugged. "I dunno…I guess Francis kinda helped me out with the floriography."

"Floriography…?"

"What? It's saying stuff with flowers! And before you say that's totally girly, I swear it's as awesome and masculine as it can be!"

Sure… Er, I mean, "Sure…" said Vash, rolling his eyes. "So. What do they mean?"

"'Innocent love.' Or 'loyal love.' Either one, I guess."

The Swiss seemed to consider the other man's words for a second. "I don't believe you."

"Dam—I mean, _darn it_, you never do!"

"But…it's a nice gesture. As long as the flowers aren't poisonous."

"_Of course they aren't. _Here," offered Gilbert, inhaling the flowers' scent deeply. "Happy? I'm not dead—"

"_Yet."_

"…Eep."

"Mr. Gilbert! I'm back!" crooned what was almost a heavenly voice to Gilbert.

_Thank you! _he thought, sighing inwardly. "Sweet! But here, I'll go first," he said, thrusting out a handful of those pretty little daisies. And they really are quite pretty, right? Lots of thin, elegant white petals surrounding a cheery yellow center. And they really do look small and innocent and delicate, don't they?

And so that's naturally what Lili thought. "Ah…thank you so much, Mr. Gilbert! I love them very much. It's actually a funny coincidence…um, so…here you go!" she said, holding out a pretty little piece of embroidery work.

Examining it in his hands revealed three carefully stitched white flowers surrounded by a flourishing chain of smaller flowers on the border. "Daisies?" asked Gilbert.

"Y-Yes…do you like it?"

He scoffed. "Nope, not at all." Here, Lili's eyes widened and Vash's narrowed. The poor boy was in a very, _very _dangerous situation.

But that's okay, because Gilbert didn't mean that in a _bad_ way. No, instead, he was just going for a cheesy little line we all know (and perhaps not love): "I don't like it; I love it!"

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**28. needle**

"Oh, _shoot," _'cursed' Liechtenstein, placing her embroidery in her lap and frowning slightly in her chair. She stood, brushed off her dress skirt, and began to look around her general area.

"Hmm? What is it, Liechten?" asked Prussia from his seat, cocking his head slightly to the side.

"I dropped my embroidery needle…ah, if you don't mind, would you help me find it?"

"Hey, of course I don't mind!" The ex-nation jumped up eagerly, scanning the room like an eagle.

…Or at least, that was what he wanted to think. In reality, his eyes were failing to catch a small, silvery, tell-tale glint that would lead him straight to where the little needle had fallen. The thing was, he could probably have just crawled on the floor to find it, but it didn't feel necessary. No, his awesome vision would be enough to spot the piece of meta—

"Ow!" he yelped, reaching for his now mildly stinging foot.

"Ah! A-Are you okay, Mr. Prussia?

"Er, yep—j-just fine." He gave her a slight grin that probably looked more like a grimace as he bent down to pick up the needle and presented it to Liechtenstein. "I, um…found your needle."

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**29. locks**

He remembers when she wore her golden locks long, tied in two cute little braids. That was how she wore her hair when they first met some-hundred years ago, when she materialized into the world as a nation. Honestly, he liked the braids better.

Yet as he watches her pass by while walking alongside her brother, he has to admit that her bob cut is still awfully adorable.

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**30. slope**

"B-But, brother, why can I not be friends with Mr. Prussia?"

"_Why? _Because!" roars Switzerland, throwing his hands in the air. "You'll be riding a slippery slope until you become corrupted and pathetic! Prussia won't be real _friends_ with you. He'll be a bad influence and taint you and your innocence and then you'll be just as terrible as him and you'll—"

Liechtenstein interrupts the Swiss before he turns too red in the face. "B-Big brother, aren't you getting ahead of yourself? Mr. Prussia is not that bad…and besides, I would not let that happen."

"You don't know that!"

"Yes, I do. Things will not get out of hand…"

"But…but it's _Prussia. _He'll do all sorts of inappropriate things! What if he hurts you? What if he—?" Here, Switzerland cuts himself off. He doesn't want to be the one to tarnish her purity by talking about any of those…_unpleasant_ things for which he would _murder Prussia with his bare hands (and maybe a rifle butt) _should the ex-nation even consider them.

"I know he won't, big brother…I trust him. Please…?" The Liechtensteinerin clasps her hands tightly and hold them under her chin, opening her pretty green eyes as widely as possible. (After years of experience, she _knows _how to use her cuteness…) Naturally, it works. Or at least that's what she assumes from her brother's flustered appearance.

"F-Fine," he mutters, turning away from her puppy dog look. "You can…be _friends_, I guess. But if he hurts you in any way, shape, or form, I'll find out and I _will _hunt him down. Okay?"

Liechtenstein just smiles. "Okay, brother!"

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***31. correspondence**

Lili Zwingli swears she saw tears in her older brother's eyes for once when he pulled away from their bittersweet hug. Her heart just broke at the sight.

"Goodbye, Lili," he mutters. "Be…be safe while I'm—_we're_—gone. Please."

"I-I will, big brother. P-Please…please come…" The rest of the request dies in her throat. How can she ask that of him? Of course she wants him to come back, but…oh, she doesn't even want to consider the possibility, yet she knows it's wholly undeniable.

Seeing the sadness that comes with harsh realization swimming in her eyes, Vash tries to offer an encouraging smile to his little sister. Unfortunately, it comes out as more of a grimace (although that better reflects how he feels right now). But at least Lili still understands what he intended. With one last attempt at a smile _(he knows that if it the time were more appropriate, she'd tell him to try again later)_, he turns away and a pale-headed man steps forward.

Lili suddenly shuts her eyes tightly so that she doesn't have to see Gilbert's face as he tells her goodbye (_for what might be the las_—_no_, she just can't conceive it). However, he tilts her head up quickly, such that her green eyes flutter open for an instant, which is enough time for them to lock onto his reddish-gray ones. And immediately, she can feel her eyes water with unbidden tears. Then he speaks.

"You'll write me until I get back, right, love?" His voice is so heavy, so grave for once. She can't decide whether she likes that or not. _(But right now, she's sure she'd rather hear his light-hearted words and his characteristic laugh.)_

Lili snaps out of her thoughts after a few moments and realizes that he is still awaiting her response.

"Y-Yes…" she eventually stutters out. "O-Of course, Gilbert. O-Of course I will…"

He smiles wryly at her—yet his smile is still as smug and arrogant as ever—before bending down a little and giving her a long kiss on the lips. She tries to bury herself in this (_ultimately temporary)_ feeling of warmth and contentment, but Lili can just imagine her brother quietly steaming as he watches (_still thinking she's much too young and he's much too old_—though the age gap really isn't much more than four years). Yet she knows that even he wouldn't dare interrupt this moment.

When Gilbert comes up for breath, he smiles once again and reminds her, "Don't forget to write." Then he simply turns and heads toward Vash. As they walk away together, she swears her heart just broke again. Lili has no idea how many pieces it will be in when he and her beloved brother returned, if…if they ever did.

All of a sudden, she tastes a salty wetness on her cheeks. So she has started crying after all. _"Dammit," _she whispers, surprising herself when she cursed because she never does. But now she has a right. The very word made everything seem just the tiniest bit less surreal. Because the Great War is happening. It is really happening. And she wishes, wishes to God that it were not, but she cannot do anything about it. But oh, how she detests it. Curse the damn war. Curse the mere concept. Curse the fact that it has to take the two people she loves above all in this world away. She's never been so afraid, never been so uncertain, never been so…_hopeless _in her life.

Because try as she might to convince herself that they would make it back home, Lili just can't whole-heartedly believe in such an optimistic turn of events. Oh, she will pray that they come back. Sure, she can pray. But this is war, and war is nothing if not composed of cruel, unpleasant realities, including that not every man who leaves for the front returns.

Lili feels basically frozen as she stands outside awhile, merely staring at the dusty path the two took as they walked away from their house, still trying to figure out what has happened and what may come next. God, and every single minute of gazing out in the direction they went has brought the suggestion of possible death to her mind. The potential for inevitability simply tortures her, crushes her.

All Lili has to do is accept the possibility and try to carry on. But she doesn't want to—it's truly inconceivable. Then she thinks of the letters. The letters will bring neither Vash nor Gilbert back, and she knows this. They can only give bear amounts of companionship and comfort. Yet somehow…perhaps through them, she'll learn to come to terms. Maybe they can make trying to survive this war sufferable, for both them and her.

At last, Lili feels she is able to return to their home. And despite her deliberate pace, she is eager to write her first letter.

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***32. linger**

Of all the houses Prussia crashes _(Austria's, Hungary's, Germany's—the list goes on and on)_, he thinks he stays at Liechtenstein's the longest. In fact, whenever he leaves her place (not_ being assailed by bullets)_, he always lingers awhile. Partly because he doesn't want to bring himself to actually leave. But really, why would he _want_ to?

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><p><strong>AN: Ah, hello peoples, once again! Did you enjoy today's overdose of sugar? No, yes? Well, it's all one.**

**27. I had fun with this one. It's a weird narration style for me, and I probably abused it, but I had fun, sooo…oh, and I also think it's my longest one so far. And I **_**know **_**it's cheesy, but bleh, I had fun!**

**31. Melodrama! _Melodrama! _This drabble is full of it. Why, self, why? But anyhoodles...this drabble is definitely a human AU, set in WWI, but mostly vague enough for any war. And…Germany is missing for some reason. Let's say he already enlisted or something to cover up the fact that I overlooked him…**

**32. I had more ideas for this one. But I was too unmotivated to try it. So here's something very lazy!**

**All right, we're all good? Good! Good day!**


	5. Prompts 33 to 40

**A/N: Shhh…I know I've really failed at posting "every day or two" this time. I have no reason but my own laziness and lack of motivation. (Those are also the reasons why I'm failing at writing my ****main**** story, I Will Give You a Rose. Argh, stupid self, write your **_**main **_**story! Put this on the **_**side**_**, because it's a **_**side **_**story.)**

**Okay, okay, self! Sheesh…So, um, **_**also**_**, because I really don't ****have many prompts done after this and because I really ought to work on my **_**main **_**story, the next update will probably be considerably late. Sorry, peoples.**

**But, good news(ish), readers, if you're out there and care: I'm pretty sure that this is the longest chapter yet. So either it's a) more stuff to enjoy or b) more crap to laugh at. Whichever one it is for you, here we go!**

**Oh, but wait! Quick warning: #37 contains some strong expletives. Just so you know.**

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><p><strong>Prompts 33-40<strong>

***33. charm**

Near the end of the table during a break during the world conference, a little blonde principality sat, glancing briefly over her notes before beginning to doodle in the margins. She was almost done with a scene involving a cute, fluffy bunny when a green-eyed, brunette country sauntered over to her.

"Hey, Liechtenstein, I haven't talked to you in a while! How have you been?"

The addressed nation looked up and saw the smiling face of Hungary. "Oh, hello, Miss Hungary. I-I am quite fine at the moment, thank you for asking. A-And you?"

"Ah, I'm fine! Mr. Austria's good, too, just in case you'd like to know."

"Um, right? So…did you come over to talk about anything?"

"Hmm? Well, nothing in particular…hey," said Hungary, looking over the younger nation's shoulder, "what are you drawing?"

"Wh-What? N-Noth-Nothing!" cried Liechtenstein as she tried to cover up her paper.

"What? All I saw was you, a bunny, and something that looked vaguely like…wait, I must have seen wrong, because it looked almost like _Prussia_. And that's just ridiculous."

"R-R-Right, of c-course…" Yet, if her stuttering didn't give her away, then it was her intense blush.

"…You like Prussia?" asked Hungary, arching an eyebrow in bewilderment. "…Why? _How?"_

"I, um, well—th-that is—"

"Wait, wait, it's okay, Liechtenstein," said the Hungarian, placing a kind hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry—that probably sounded really rude of me."

"N-No, o-of course not, Miss Hungary."

"No, really. I guess I'm kind of biased. Prussia's normally just annoying me or Mr. Austria, which I just can't stand. Just a few days ago, he decided to bother us during one of Mr. Austria's beautiful songs…It's such a shame I had to leave to beat the stupid albino with my frying pan, because Mr. Austria does make wonderful music…and he looks quite cute when he's so absorbed in his playing, and—"

"That sounds so very sweet, Miss Hungary," interrupts the Liechtensteinerin with a smile.

"Hmm, what…?" asked Hungary, a slight fog floating in her eyes before it quickly dissipated. "Oh, right, yes—well, it certainly was. So…why do you like Prussia anyway? Not trying to be rude this time—just…why?"

Liechtenstein immediately flushed at the attention being returned to her. "Well, I-I don't know…"

"Oh, c'mon. We're friends. You can trust me," coaxed the older nation, grinning sweetly. "I just want to know what possibly redeemable traits that ignorant buffoon has—er, no offense?"

"N-None taken." And besides, it was hard not trust that sincere smile of the Hungarian's. "I just…I'm not s-sure, th-there's just something about him…I-I don't really know! I've just kind of liked him for a while…and I a-actually sort of admire Mr. Prussia's confidence—"

_"Over_confidence."

The blonde nation giggled a little. "W-Well, of course. I-It's just, I know _I'm_ not known for my self-assuredness or anything, and yet Mr. Prussia's so certain of himself—almost comically. A-And I know he's not very graceful, though he can be quite crude, but it's all somewhat…endearing. And I-I've seen him be nice and doting—w-with his little bird and sometimes with Mr. Germany. And, I-I'm not really sure—there's just a little charm to him, I suppose…b-but, what do I know? I-I mean—"

"No, no, it's fine, Liechtenstein. I mean, I still think there's something off about this, but…ultimately, it's _your _choice. So, I just hope you'll be happy with it in the end. Okay?" asked Hungary, giving the younger nation yet another smile.

"O-Okay."

"All right, so, if everything's just dandy now for you, I clearly have a little business with a certain ignorant buffoon! See you later, Liechtenstein!"

"Ah, goodbye, Miss Hungary!"

Then, the meaning of the Hungarian's words struck her. "Wait! Wh-What did you say were you going to do?"

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***34. roads**

"_I wanna get out of this place."_

"…_wh-why?"_

"_Why not?"_

"_But—"_

"_I'm kinda just…tired, you know…?" The man sighs. "I dunno. My parents and my job—that is, my lack of one—and…life in general, I guess._

"_Yet…just think of it, Lili!" he exclaims suddenly, beginning to move his hands about with as much enthusiasm as the conductor of an orchestra. "Life on the open road…letting your heart wander, being free of emotional ties, living out a never-ending adventure, blah, blah, blah—_c'mon._ Think_ _about it. Can you really imagine anything better than being able to come and go when ya want, leaving whatever you don't want behind? It's—it's great! It's…_awesome!"

"_I…I suppose so, Gilbert. But…I don't really want to leave. I'm happy here. Living like this." _With you, _thinks the girl as she pushes back a lock of hair behind her ear._

_He scoffs lightly, and her heart sinks just a little._

He's carrying an assortment of bags to the trunk of his car, his father's older one that he got for his birthday some years ago. It doesn't look new, but at least it's not run down. The blue paint's faded, the metal's dull, but the engine runs just fine. She should know; the two of them have spent several hours driving in that very car. She remembers long conversations and long silences, all of them perfectly amiable and pleasant. She remembers rolling every window down and letting the wind blow their hair around, laughing as it did so. But she also remembers never going too far, lest her brother rebuke them _(mostly him)_ later.

Eventually, she finds the courage within herself to walk over and speak to him.

"Y-You're really leaving, aren't you," she says, the last part not even a question.

He shrugs, opens his trunk, and puts one bag inside, all without a single glance at her.

"P-Please, Gilbert…do you have to leave?"

His answer comes with a sigh. "I've been planning this for weeks now. I'm not just going to give up on it like that. I'll miss you a lot, Lili…but this is something I really want, you know?"

She lowers her head and wrings her hands. "I can…I can understand. But…"

"…What?"

"I wish I could go with you."

When all the words leave her mouth, he turns his head slowly to look at her in disbelief. "How?" he asks.

Now she begins to play with the hem of her dress, twisting it and curling it up. "…I don't want you to leave here, and I don't want to leave either, but…I-It'd be nice, wouldn't it? To go whatever the roads take…us. It's scary—just a little—but…I don't know. I don't have any plans, any ideas—I just—" She cuts herself off and stares at her feet. She can practically feel the intensity of his gaze burning into the top of her head now, and it's as if she could honestly detect the smell of singed hair.

"I've been planning this for weeks now, you know that?"

"Y-Yes, I know…I understand. Trying to go with you…it would mess up all your plans, wouldn't it?"

"Maybe. But…I'd like that. I'd like if you could come."

"Wh-What?"

"What? It's true. Don't look so surprised." He smiles briefly at her, but his face then sets into a more serious expression. "Still…I can't just change my mind. It'd be awesome if you could come with me. But I don't see that happening anytime soon. You're not packed, you don't have plans—and even if we get past all of that…there's still your older brother. I don't know…I'm sorry."

"N-No…I understand." She offers him a faint, sweet smile. "You sh-should go. I can't—I shouldn't stop you."

Something in his reddish-gray eyes wavers. "…I'll come back. You know that, right, Lili?"

"I know, Gilbert." With that, she pulls him into a sudden hug. He tenses up for a second, but then grins and returns the embrace.

She waves goodbye with maybe one or two tears in her eyes when his car pulls away from the driveway and drives down the street. Watching the blue car grow smaller and smaller, fade faster and faster into the horizon—it feels a little bittersweet, but rightly so. Still, she knows it won't take long before he reaches the highway.

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**35. hunger**

"Prussia, _mon ami, _you cannot be serious when you say you've never thought of her like that."

"Sh-Shut up, France."

"What? It is perfectly normal, and besides, you can be quite the lusty one, no?"

"Freaking—France, that's totally _not _awesome."

"Why not? Don't let stop yourself from feeling _l'amour!_ It is no good to repress such hungers—"

"Shut the hell up! I mean, Liechten's just…just—_no_, man! I just don't think about her like that. I just…_don't_. Seriously, just 'cause I hang out with you and you jump down everyone's pants when you get the chance to doesn't mean _I _do."

"Why…I'd take offense to that, but I suppose it's true."

"Yeah, exactly. I mean…my relationship with Liechten's completely different from when we would go out and pick up chicks for sex and all. That shit's nice and everything, but…with _her_, it's kind of just nice hanging around and talking and doing little things like holding hands and stuff. I just don't think about all _that _stuff when I'm with her. Well. I dunno…maybe a little. But—but it's not like it's the main thing on my mind!"

"Hmm, I see…Oh, _mon ami_, how this girl has changed you. I'm supposing you won't be joining us at the strip club tonight?"

"What? Er, nah. I'm taking Liechten out to dinner. And I should get going, too. I'm starving!"

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***36. reciprocity**

**A glimpse into a math tutoring session between a young Lili and Gilbert:**

"…so normally, this one tops and this one bottoms?"

_"Kese_—er, yep…th-that's how fractions work."

"Oh, okay! B-But, ah, I still don't understand reciprocals…what do you do with them?"

"What? Oh, er, you just switch what's on the bottom with what's on the top."

"So, they're in a different position now? So now this one's topping, right? But…I thought it was supposed to bottom?"

"Well, er, sometimes, it can top."

"But wait…why do we need reciprocals anyway?"

"Uh, to divide with fractions."

"But why do they have to change positions to do it?"

_"Fff,_ I don't know. They just do…it."

"But, but my teacher says that sometimes they come together, and then they become one."

_"Kesss_…wh-what?"

"The fractions."

"Er, what about them?"

"They become one."

"Um…oh, _'one'?_ As in, 'one' the number?"

"H-Huh? What other 'one' is there?"

"Uhhh…never mind. So, yeah, yeah, you're right. If you multiply a fraction by its reciprocal, you get one…"

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***37. kind**

_Dear Diary of the Awesome Me,_

_Well, screw me. Actually, in all seriousness, that's be just great after a day like today. And yeah, yeah, crappy as hell days happen __all the time__ to lame, probably deserving, unawesome people. But dammit, __I__ am not one of those people! __I__ am too damn awesome for bullshit like this! __Too __damn __awesome__._

_So I deserve the chance to rant! And you just so happen to be my audience! Lucky you, Awesome Diary of Mine._

_Anyway, let's just start off with the crappy beginning of my day, shall we? Turns out it was raining really hard in the morning, and I only woke up when the rain started falling on my face. Guess the window wasn't shut __because it was way too hot last night__. Stupid humidity. Stupid rain getting __all over__ my stuff underneath the window. Including a really long-ass report I had to turn in this Monday. Guess who's gonna have to be pulling a few all-nighters to rewrite that shit? And I was looking forward to spending my day harassing Prissy Boy and his Psycho-Bitch Girlfriend._

_Not that work was __actually__ going to stop me from doing something fun like that. Nah, just the pouring rain and the fact that my old damn car refused to start on me. Dumb piece of junk—why the hell did it choose today to stop working? It's not like it's run down or anything, dammit. I checked it out and all, but I couldn't figure out what the hell was wrong. Damn thing. Looks like I'm going to have pay out of my ass for repairs._

_And not only that, but it looked like either I would have to walk a few miles or have no fun tormenting. But hell if I'm going to __walk__ for __miles__ when it's pouring blue whales and elephants in bathtubs or whatever._

_Yep, so screw my plans of messing with people for my own -distraction- enjoyment. But that's not it either, because then little Gilbird doesn't wanna play. Just wants to sleep, that lazy yellow fluff-ball. Nope, I just had to suck it up and type up my dumb report. But just when I sit down with my laptop, __that's__ when the power goes out. Fucking fantastic. And did I mention how it didn't have any batteries and had been running on the A/C? Yeah, and don't forget that it was now pitch-black and I couldn't see a damn thing. __And__ it was still raining ass-loads._

_So after stumbling over shit in my house for a good half-hour while searching for candles or flashlights or __anything__, I figured out that I didn't have any. At all. Even though I __swear__ I bought some matches for an awesome prank last week. Well, I'm lying a little. I found one measly birthday candle that I'm currently writing by. But still, once it burns out, then there'll be nothing useful for seeing in the stupid darkness. Yeah, because as awesome as I am, I don't have night vision._

_So here we are now. I figure that I'll have to either vegetate in the shadows and do nothing or run to the store in the rain to get some fucking light sources._

_Maybe I'd better get going now. This candle's almost_

"Dammit!" cursed Gilbert as he heard the hiss of the candle's tiny flame going out and was instantly enshrouded in a thick cover of cruel, cruel blackness. Slamming his diary shut, he stood up from his chair with a scowl and plopped his pen on the table. As he took a step away toward his closet (where an umbrella would _hopefully_ be), he almost immediately tripped on…_something!_ Dammit, he didn't care what it was, he hated it!

Damn day. He continued on his way to the closet and upon reaching it, opened it only to be overwhelmed a small avalanche of crap. So he'd also have to pick this shit up later! But whatever. That'd be for _later._ For now, he was going to dig through this pile of junk for anything resembling an umbrella.

Since he mostly had to analyze everything by mere touch, however, it took him far longer than necessary to find a half-broken umbrella with metal spokes sticking out at unintended angles. Not to mention, it was also basically no bigger than a dinner plate. What. Bullshit.

But it'd have to do. Although even if his whole day had been unawesome this far, he was still awesome enough to make it to the local corner store and back without soaking up enough water to drown himself in.

And so Gilbert found himself dashing through the rain, his useless umbrella tucked under his arm so it would stop slowing him down. And even though he was running (in his mind, dodging raindrops like a pro), the water was undeniably seeping into his clothes. But that was okay; the store was only a block away now—

"Ah!"

And so Gilbert found himself sprawled on the grass (fortunately not the concrete), cradling his head as the rain continued to pour, after crashing into some stupid stranger. _Seriously,_ he thought with a scowl, _you're supposed to step aside for someone _obviously_ in a rush…_

He stood up, grumbling and brushing himself off. This was just great; he was getting wetter with each second he was wasting here. He was just about to storm off _(did he _really_ just think that?)_ when a gentle, feminine voice spoke up.

"I-I'm r-really sorry about this, sir…I -I was carrying some groceries, and I was adjusting my umbrella, s-so it kept falling over my eyes, and so I didn't see you, and, well…I-I'm very sorry for this…"

Gilbert glanced over at the _idiot_ he ran into and saw she was apologizing as she was picking up her things off the ground and replacing them in her grocery bags. It looked almost…pitiable. And though her light pink raincoat stopped most of the rain from soaking into her clothing, her blonde hair was starting to clump and stick to her face without her umbrella, which was lying idly on the grass. She didn't look too happy, either, grabbing many broken and bruised items.

Dare he say it, he was feeling a little…guilty. The girl looked so sweet and innocuous, after all; why should he have been mad at her? _(Because he was in a bad mood?) _So, reluctantly, he walked over and knelt, holding the umbrella over their heads as he began to pick up groceries as well.

Gilbert watched as the girl noticed that the rain was no longer pouring down on her and lifted up her head. He couldn't restrain a smirk at her surprised expression.

"O-Oh," she stuttered, "th-thank you, sir."

And then she gave him a smile, which easily reached her kind green eyes. And Gilbert thought it was a little stupid, but this little smile playing on her small pink lips felt so…wonderful. It was like—like sunshine. Bright, eager sunshine peaking through the dreary rain clouds to offer no more than it could of genuine warmth.

But it was enough. His problems didn't instantly disappear, but…it was enough that this tiny smile founds its way through to him on this awful, awful day.

When they finished gathering up their things, Gilbert managed yet another act of gallantry, holding out his hand to help the girl up, and she gracefully accepted. It seemed that his job here was done now.

"Hey."

"Y-Yes, sir?"

"Name's Gilbert Beilschmidt, actually. Or maybe the Awesome One, if you want."

The girl giggled, and that, too, brightened his day a little. "My name is Lili Zwingli."

"'Lili', huh? It's a pretty name. So, um…you live in the neighborhood?"

"Y-Yes. Just a few blocks from here."

"Really? Well, I guess this means I might see you around sometime. But uh…looks like you gotta go?"

"O-Oh, yes, right! Um, th-thank you again, Mr. Gilbert."

She moved to take her umbrella, which Gilbert was still holding over them, when she paused, as if struck by a thought. Then, quickly searching through her bags, she pulled out a pack of flashlights and batteries and tried to hand it to him.

"I-It's not much of a repayment, I know, but I don't have much else. Big brother only wanted me to get some essentials."

"Wait, but don't you need these?"

"N-Not really. Big brother and I are actually very prepared…but I insisted on helping him, so he let me go and buy more supplies—just in case. So p-please take it? I-I'm sure you'll need it for the power outage." She smiled again, and he couldn't resist.

"Thanks," he replied, grinning back.

As he watched her walk away before heading for home himself, Gilbert didn't really mind the rain splashing down on him as much as before. It didn't feel like much anymore; after all, he had just been given a little sunshine.

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***38. fruity**

"Hey, what'cha drinking, Liechten?" asked the white-haired man, casting a glance over at his drinking companion for the evening.

"Hmm?" she responded as she fingered the stem of her drink and looked at him. "O-Oh, just an apple martini. I-It's quite good—maybe you should try some?"

"Ha, _what?_ That fruity, girly drink? No way! It's only beer for me," he declared, while smugly gesturing to himself with his thumb.

"A-Ah, okay then…" said Liechtenstein, ducking her head down as she meekly returned her gaze back to her beverage.

As he watched her, Prussia sighed inwardly. Dammit, he shouldn't feel _guilty _(because that was an unawesome feeling), but he _did. _Even though he didn't really do anything _wrong. _Still, Liechtenstein looked a little put down. After all, she had meant well, right? And he had kind of rudely shut her down…

"Argh, Liechten. You just…argh. Here, fine, I'll try some."

She looked at him sideways. "Really? O-Okay," she said, pushing over her brightly green-colored drink cautiously.

He half-grimaced as he surveyed the beverage. Just a sip or something, that was all! So swallowing a bit of his pride, he took a small mouthful of the concoction.

"It's not…_bad_," said Prussia after a moment of deliberation. "Not quite awesome, but it's pretty all right."

Liechtenstein smiled as she ordered another apple martini, since the Prussian didn't seem to show any intention of returning her drink.

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**39. half-life**

"Baby, I'm radioactive with only a half-life to live. Wanna come over to my place and fuse?"

"…I'm sorry, Mr. Prussia, but what does that mean, exactly?"

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**40. comedy of errors**

Prussia once mixed up Switzerland and Liechtenstein. _(It really wasn't his fault; they looked so similar from the back when they wore the same uniform!)_ However, it was certainly _not_ funny when he ended up dodging the Swiss' barrage of bullets while also trying to apologize to an upset Liechtensteinerin. From then on, he got a little more careful with his tackle hugs.

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><p><strong>AN:**

**33. Oh, Hungary. You do such things. Except you still seem OOC to me. Dang it. Well, I kind of did that because, if I didn't, it'd probably be much longer. Nah, I'd rather write a longer version of this later, if at all.**

**34. ****I suck at writing bittersweet endings, obviously. So yes, a****nother human AU thing. Reminds me of another one of my stories; I wonder why…? Well, I'm guessing it's because I like the 'romance' of road trips or whatever. But bleeeh, it feels so beige-prose-y to me.**

**36. …I'm such a nerd. I couldn't come up with anything better than **_**fractions. **__**Fractions,**_** dang it! (And I fail at double entendres. **_**Fail so much.)**_

**37. To me, the prompt was a special kind of vague. So, I went ahead and found this quote to be my prompt instead: "Today, give a stranger one of your smiles. It might be the only sunshine he sees all day." I like the quote. But I think this drabble has several plot-holes. Such as, why would Switzy ever **_**actually**_** let Liechtenstein go buy groceries when it's dark and raining? He'd never let her go out; what if she got a runny nose? Or tripped and scratched herself? And beyond that, cheesy!ending is cheesy!**

**38. Headcanon says Liechtenstein is at **_**least **_**16-18 in human years, so she can legally drink in her own country. Still, her age does fluctuate in my headcanon at times.**

**39. I **_**actually **_**looked up nerdy pickup lines for this prompt. But I couldn't find any. So, I tried to come up with one myself. Er, clearly I'm not good at this. I mean, this isn't even pun-ny or cheesy; it's just **_**bad. **_**Still, you're free to try to use it. Just tell me how it goes…**

**Yep, well, this chapter's done now. Yay! I just hope I didn't make your heart cry at all the badness. Good day, and oh, reviews are always welcome!**


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